Finals usually are a stressful period and means a lot of nights awake, loads of coffee, notes everywhere and fear of the tests. The good news is that it is possible to make these times better and easier to get through. Check out 11 study strategies that may help you with your exams:
1. Make a test calendar
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It is the first step for organize your studies. With a calendar you can plan the days you are going to dedicate for each subject and it helps you not getting lost with the dates.
2. Know exactly what you need to study
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It seems stupid, but if you have the exams topics noted down, you will not study neither more than you need nor less.
3. Find the right place and time
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Some people prefer quiet places to study, such as home or at the library, because they can focus there. However, others think that stillness makes them distracted or even sleepy, so they prefer coffee places and parks.
About the time, there are morning, afternoon and night people, so it will depend on the period you feel most active during the day.
4. Start with the subjects you have more difficulties
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It is hard to study for some subjects because of its difficulty, but that is why you should start with it. Dedicate more attention and time to it so you will not have to rush on the test eve. After doing that get to the ones you feel more comfortable.
5. Do a summary
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Old but gold, summarize the information you got and rewrite them in an easy way of understanding. Use your creativity: colored pens, post-its and drawings are welcome.
6. The keyword tip
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It is like a complement to your summary. Take a piece of paper or a post it and write the words you find most important. With these keywords, you can stimulate yourself to make connections between them.
7. Record yourself explaining the subject
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Recording your voice is a great way to fix an information on your mind. Take your notes, press the record button and start to explain what you just have studied. After that, listen to your own explanation.
8. Music can help!
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Music on and world off: do a playlist with songs that you like and help you concentrate. Spotify has some already made playlists like “Deep Concentration”, “Study Zone” and “Just focus”.
9. Stipulate goals
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You can stipulate rewards with yourself, like “x chapters read/ x exercises done = x minutes to relax”. It will help you to keep a study rhythm and will make it less boring.
10. Take breaks
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Breaks help your brain to organize the information and make you relax, it is important to give them in the right time. Go get some snack, walk for a while or just lie down for a couple minutes.
11. Believe in yourself
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The last tip is to believe in what you studied and slay. There is nothing holding you back, trust on your instincts and remember to breath. Wish you all luck!